Today we’d like to introduce you to Dairian Roberts.
Dairian, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Maybe some people can relate, but I had no idea what I wanted to do in college. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Science and knew exactly what I didn’t want to do. I never wanted to go to medical school and become a doctor. With little to no guidance, I scoured the school’s counseling office for allied health programs, and I ultimately decided to pursue a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (OT). I wanted to put my biology degree to good use, and I felt the profession had great flexibility.
Throughout OT school and my early career, I was passionate about hand therapy. All the nerd stuff of muscles, nerves, and tendons aligned so well with everything I learned in my biology degree. I loved the technical aspects of hand injury rehabilitation like making splints and casting, but after having my son in 2017, my whole world was rocked.
I was so shocked about the lack of postpartum care and became so passionate about helping other women during this critical time of transition. On maternity leave, I dove headfirst into the birth world, first training as a postpartum doula. Due to the initial struggles with breastfeeding and lack of adequate support, I became more interested in helping women to breastfeed. When it was time to return to work, I shifted my entire career to pediatrics, specifically the birth to three population. I began working in the early intervention system supporting families with all things related to development and feeding. I started a private practice in 2018 to serve families without the constraint of insurance and decided to focus on promotion of preventative care for infant development and feeding. I received my first breastfeeding credential of “lactation educator counselor” (CLEC) in 2018 and later became an “international board-certified lactation consultant” (IBCLC) in 2020.
Now, my private practice is primarily focused on supporting breastfeeding and bottle-feeding families throughout the Los Angeles area. I use my background as an OT to provide a whole-body perspective to feeding and really address the whole family’s needs as it relates to infant feeding. I continue to support families through community classes and in home consultations.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely been a bumpy road! There are a few different paths to become an IBCLC and so many barriers to entry. As a healthcare provider, I could have chosen the path of independent clinical hours to qualify for the board exam but instead chose the route of mentorship. Mentorship is hard to come by with community lactation consultants as many are busy or view the training someone as competition. I knew the immense value of learning from an experienced professional but specifically wanted to find a Black IBCLC to be my mentor. I am so grateful for the abundance of knowledge and support from all of those on my journey! Shout out to Kimberly Durdin (midwife, IBCLC, and co-founder of Kindred Space LA) for mentoring me over the years and pushing me to continue on the path for the IBCLC credential.
I also decided to have a second baby while completing my clinical hours. Managing a toddler and newborn while balancing work and studying for the board exam proved to more challenging than expected, but my husband is amazing and has always been extremely supportive.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Humbled by Motherhood was born from my own experiences and has evolved as I have pursued other credentials and taken advanced coursework.
Traditionally, occupational therapists are trained in bottle feeding, with little to no education on breastfeeding. Further, not all pediatric occupational therapists are comfortable working with infants, especially breastfeeding. I have taken advanced coursework that focuses on infant feeding and swallowing as well as manual therapies (hands on techniques).
This is what makes me stand out as a lactation consultant. I use my OT background in feeding, swallowing, sensory processing, infant development, and manual therapy to provide a highly specialized service. This skill set is particularly beneficial for infants with oral restrictions (tongue, lip, cheek ties) or infants that present with conditions such as torticollis or other body asymmetries. I use a whole-body perspective to address feeding issues. Feeding challenges is more than what happens in the mouth, it’s a whole-body experience.
I want families to know they deserve individualized support regardless of how they choose to feed their baby because feeding is so much more than nutrition.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love so many things about LA! In relation to business, I love that LA has no shortage of qualified professionals. Although some see this saturation of professionals as competition, I see it as an increased opportunity for every mother to receive care from a person they feel most comfortable with.
To no surprise, the least favorite thing about LA is the traffic. I almost exclusively see families in their homes and sometimes the 405 can drive me insane! It gives me more than enough time to listen to audiobooks and podcasts. There’s always more to learn!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.humbledbymotherhood.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/humbledbymotherhood
